SparkFun Electronics Commentsurn:uuid:214d0e4e-f1b1-d287-ce26-ac5b4c9f82492015-03-31T14:57:30-06:00SparkFun ElectronicsCustomer #374670 on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitCustomer #374670urn:uuid:9d4914b5-5a22-ee3c-6f96-5ad01afade4a2012-10-31T22:40:52-06:00<p>Thanks. I&rsquo;ll use 18 and see how it goes</p>Kamiquasi on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitKamiquasiurn:uuid:6483d454-b3ee-56b7-a126-968e1e0756dd2012-10-31T06:07:28-06:00<p>It doesn&rsquo;t look like there&rsquo;s any specifically low current LEDs in this assortment, so when in doubt about the rest, 20mA is usually a safe assumption for <em>maximum</em> current for a single site LED. Try staying a bit below that, e.g. 18mA if you want to run them for longer periods.</p>Customer #374670 on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitCustomer #374670urn:uuid:befecb6d-379f-5ba4-aea0-ac2050f0fe892012-10-30T22:29:34-06:00<p>The info sheet doesn&rsquo;t have Amperage numbers. I&rsquo;m not sure how to build bigger circuits and get the correct resistors without it.</p>
<p>For example, I found an equation to use that goes like this&hellip; For a 20mA LED, then the required resistor value would be R = (Vbat - Vled)/20ma.</p>
<p>Obviously I don&rsquo;t want to overstress my LED and turn it into trash.</p>RobertC. on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitRobertC.urn:uuid:06edf23f-a3e4-902b-c958-e27ab2da9cf22012-07-05T16:50:38-06:00<p>using a multimeter on the diode setting is a great way to identify an LED. it will dimly illuminate the LED when polarity is correct.</p>Toni_K on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitToni_Kurn:uuid:f1effd1c-4585-874c-2eb3-8a66a8fe4f752012-07-05T16:46:04-06:00<p>The RGBs should be easy to pick out, and with the others, start with the minimum 2v and power them all up. You should be able to narrow them down quickly from there.</p>Toni_K on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitToni_Kurn:uuid:620c8f7f-49a8-afa4-d9ad-e4d6a93bb2342012-07-05T16:39:45-06:00<p>They should be common cathode.</p>Midknight5000 on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitMidknight5000urn:uuid:da52b022-68a9-627a-1f14-fabdf5e874b82012-03-10T15:08:57-07:00<p>how do we tell the difference between all the clear leds?</p>ANTANI on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitANTANIurn:uuid:1a42aeac-6289-f10b-5861-ae9499ca04692012-02-03T13:18:31-07:00<p>Well I think we have a winner for the idiot awards&hellip;</p>EvanTeitelman on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitEvanTeitelmanurn:uuid:125a40ac-8da0-8104-46c0-32b821e38d232012-01-27T12:00:58-07:00<p>Hey, no need to throw around names. (:</p>Lefty4000 on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitLefty4000urn:uuid:ef5980e8-1265-07da-b6cd-2a125b96a9392012-01-27T10:00:05-07:00<p>Well they are super sustainable now so its all good</p>EvanTeitelman on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitEvanTeitelmanurn:uuid:7140b336-1c70-2327-6471-05ca052559ed2012-01-23T14:54:07-07:00<p>Sparkfun started selling common cathode RGB LEDs before they started selling common anode ones, so the RGB LEDs in this package are most likely common cathode.</p>EvanTeitelman on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitEvanTeitelmanurn:uuid:9cfe113b-7b36-78dd-3926-c0291d0251f82012-01-23T14:45:21-07:00<p>Both. Using reusable containers would act more as a marketing method than a way to save the environment though.</p>Lefty4000 on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitLefty4000urn:uuid:9a0475d2-5476-4f02-8a69-08f4b65706532012-01-23T12:49:43-07:00<p>Do you care about making sweet stuff or saving the environment?</p>LaCroix42 on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitLaCroix42urn:uuid:f7c36f32-145d-2fb1-9e6d-b7e387f5efd42012-01-15T18:33:14-07:00<p>Is the RGB LED a common anode or common cathode?</p>Madone on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitMadoneurn:uuid:c032ef0e-b808-73ee-3a80-7ad4717ce37f2011-12-28T06:20:44-07:00<p>Perhaps you should just keep dangerous objects away from your children and if you are so concerned about it don&rsquo;t buy this product.</p>RobertC. on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitRobertC.urn:uuid:ddc253b8-d58c-c537-5c5d-80a8d94c170b2011-11-21T11:03:03-07:00<p>We&rsquo;ve just recently started bagging the batteries individually and using a new supplier for them. If you get one of the old kits, contact cservice@sparkfun.com and they can help you out.</p>rwerntz on RTL-09878 - LED Starter Kitrwerntzurn:uuid:79bd5c52-405d-6b22-9b5d-bf12b1f6ee212011-11-19T21:45:44-07:00<p>Sadly, I bought two of these today from my local Micro Center and the batteries were both dead.</p>16 BIT HOMEREW on RTL-09878 - LED Starter Kit16 BIT HOMEREWurn:uuid:4faeb000-3394-841e-8c46-5922cdd950f62011-09-29T17:06:41-06:00<p>willl this stuff just plug op to the battery or does it need seperate items to run</p>RobertC. on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitRobertC.urn:uuid:b8174506-d6ce-abee-229b-023f74f4e6452011-09-20T12:50:30-06:00<p>I&rsquo;ve check it and it is free-floating, but the resistors are bagged and there&rsquo;s nothing else for it to touch, aside from the rest of the enclosure. We&rsquo;re going to revise it to be bagged and check if our supply had dead batteries.<br/>
Thanks for bringing it to our attention.</p>RobertC. on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitRobertC.urn:uuid:fe82bc4d-0b25-1c36-0b9a-85ccc83ccc942011-09-17T14:55:05-06:00<p>Bummer, they shouldn&rsquo;t be packed like that. I&rsquo;ll revise the packing procedure so that doesn&rsquo;t happen anymore.<br/>
If you want, contact cservice@sparkfun.com and we can get you a new battery, just tell em I sent ya.</p>Target on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitTargeturn:uuid:3bb0353c-5528-6d56-f2ec-6fba9ccefc042011-09-17T01:12:41-06:00<p>Sadly not, the battery and resistors are free floating behind a plastic tray holding the LEDs, so like the one I just got, you get a nice dead battery.</p>Rainman002 on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitRainman002urn:uuid:6461b1bc-8d43-8fc8-fbf5-e961099e2e562011-06-06T12:10:32-06:00<p>Plastic packaging, LEDs, and resistors are also vary harmful to ingest. I don&rsquo;t think Sparkfun would omit those items as well for safety reasons.</p>Customer #215395 on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitCustomer #215395urn:uuid:a67098e1-1571-720f-fc98-6862d33b36212011-05-19T12:19:03-06:00<p>Are these 5mm LEDs? The link to the Info Sheet is dead.</p>EvanTeitelman on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitEvanTeitelmanurn:uuid:c9534d67-77b7-29ec-3f39-efba74816f4b2011-04-26T17:21:30-06:00<p>About half the stuff on this site could injure a toddler.</p>MattCF on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitMattCFurn:uuid:0a93bd42-db9d-78f8-7e18-a24ed56e9fc92011-04-23T21:47:52-06:00<p>good and blinky fun</p>FoxxCommand on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitFoxxCommandurn:uuid:748bb0b9-aacb-6696-f9c7-71e46803d1a52011-02-10T02:02:05-07:00<p>There&rsquo;s actually only 26 LED&rsquo;s but I understand you including the 4 extra pins on the RGB LED&rsquo;s and you do make a good point.</p>RobertC. on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitRobertC.urn:uuid:2bbba68a-8c6d-035b-0883-89cc3ef03d632011-02-01T11:46:46-07:00<p>Yeah, but it touches only plastic, all the other stuff is in bags.</p>N.Poole on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitN.Pooleurn:uuid:4072c239-d387-f216-4202-01ceda336bd82011-01-17T16:37:49-07:00<p>@JLC,Chris&amp;Nike<br/>
Of course the battery is just floating around, you expect the same people who design your breakout boards and maintain this website to have that kind of common sense? I mean, as tempting as it is to give it its very own Earth-killing plastic clamshell, if you did that then the Toddlers couldn&rsquo;t get to them to swallow them, and that is, after all, the real reason it&rsquo;s included.<br/>
(this is sarcastic comedy: I think plastic&rsquo;s fine, of course the battery isn&rsquo;t just tossed in and I don&rsquo;t want to hurt your toddler&hellip; the battery-swallowing is a legitimate concern, just don&rsquo;t give your little kid a plastic box full of LEDs to play wth)</p>JLC on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitJLCurn:uuid:994ea0ee-be56-f584-1681-31908ccebafe2011-01-16T18:24:54-07:00<p>Is that battery just floating around inside?<br/>
If so it could easily short&hellip;</p>CF on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitCFurn:uuid:36294b42-7bfa-954d-bbdf-841c51e893f52011-01-15T15:34:11-07:00<p>I think they were going for something that included everything you need to get started. (For someone that is new to electronics and might not have a battery.)</p>CF on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitCFurn:uuid:627a5c77-ebdb-1e38-c5d9-155e449349252011-01-15T15:32:22-07:00<p>30 LED&rsquo;s but only 25 resistors?</p>EvanTeitelman on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitEvanTeitelmanurn:uuid:64d77f1f-053e-f887-6862-aeaabb66405e2011-01-15T15:28:21-07:00<p>I realize that, but it would be interesting if instead of using clamshell, they used some kind of reusable packaging for their retail products like low quality part boxes. Just an idea. It will probably never happen.</p>chrisg2005 on RTL-09878 - LED Starter Kitchrisg2005urn:uuid:1eade2e6-11ae-f098-e0b8-bee900431c212011-01-15T11:31:22-07:00<p>Parents of infants and toddlers around should be careful that their little ones don&rsquo;t ingest coin cell batteries (I didn&rsquo;t know this until I was a parent myself). Check out http://www.poison.org/battery/guideline.asp for more info. Perhaps Sparkfun should reconsider the possible unnecessary inclusion of the battery with this package. Most people have a battery or power source already available.</p>polyhedron on RTL-09878 - LED Starter Kitpolyhedronurn:uuid:ace90b1b-6fbe-fbbf-f309-fe2092be3c9c2011-01-14T15:03:06-07:00<p>Retail packaging is not for you, it&rsquo;s for the dealers that hang them on pegs at their store. Sparkfun is a distributor.</p>EvanTeitelman on RTL-09878 - LED Starter KitEvanTeitelmanurn:uuid:3647e02f-95b4-12dc-a1ae-0d6afbb786da2011-01-13T20:27:22-07:00<p>Perhaps you should look at alternatives to the clamshell packaging. Packaging items in clear reusable plastic containers would be cool, and could mean a little bit less trash in the environment.</p>